Meanwhile, folks at Stanford are setting up the Quake Catcher Network, using the accelerometers in post-2004 Apple laptops, with a Windows version to follow. "We're not trying to predict earthquakes, we're trying to measure them very rapidly and get the information out before damage is done to large populations." "Hundreds of sophisticated seismometers are already in place in California, but they're spaced relatively far apart. The new distributed network wouldn't replace those, says Paul Davis, a professor of geology at the University of California, Los Angeles, but 'it would fill in the gaps.'"

Maybe it's just me, but I found this Flash demo from NaniMoose quite captivating. It's just a pair of eyes, but they're highly configurable.. roundness, center balance, slant, eyelash weight, and so forth.

Koinup's running another Windlight photo contest, open until May 7, with three prizes of L$20k (~ US$75) up for grabs. I'd highlight the Merovingi Fashion Awards 2008, with category winners receiving a 20" iMac - the real thing, not an SL version - but nominations closed last month. It's now time for the showcase week. I don't follow SL fashion, but I'll admit I'm interested in seeing who's in the running in the furry category. (And not merely a celebration of design panache, but apparently raising funds for Doctors Without Borders, and the National Cancer Society)

Beer for the day: 1066 Country Bitter, from the White Brewing Company in Bexhill-on-Sea. A world apart from the usual wilting flowers of most bitters' hops, this pushes well into the league of ales.

Assuming I wind up landing the house I'm hoping for (and how!), I might eventually be able to give a home to a pair of bunnies. ^_^ What recommendations do you have for breeds, and general guidelines on rabbitproofing a home, and their general health, feeding, and welfare? This wouldn't be until perhaps the end of the year, and only once I'd researched everything well, so there's no hurry. (One breed that appeals is the Belgian Hare, but I imagine I'll simply go along to a shelter and see who takes to me)

In the meantime, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 is the current leading contender on the camera front. The emphasis is still on the automatic control of the camera, but it beats even the Ricoh Caplio R7, with a good quality Leica lens, and a hefty 10x optical zoom, in a similarly diminutive case. Ideal for wildlife photography, whilst still being suitable for slipping into a pocket, such as lunchtime today, when I was able to enjoy watching a pair of wild grey rabbits munching in a field near the office. ^_^

.. and it appears the aforementioned rental application was approved. =:D

*grin* I'll probably wind up taking a pile of photos (somehow, given the old A200 seems to've given up the ghost, hence the musings over its replacement) when I move in, and before it looks too.. *cough* lived in. =:) It's not a huge place, but easily large enough I'd be able to invite a few folks over comfortably for a barbecue. And the long, comfy leather couches will be perfect for sinking into after a long day, or just a good walk along the nearby trail, given the place is only a street or two away from the edge of town.. hopefully the new camera (probably not until June, though) will be seeing a lot of use. ^_^ (And rabbiteering could use perking up, ne?)

Awww! Jaci's Irish Nora in particular, over here in the page's photos reminds me of you. ^_^ Just something about that expression..

A200 as in the Konica-Minolta A200? I'm very familiar with the A2, which is a similar camera. :-)The DMC-TZ5 has a smaller sensor (1/2.33" vs 2/3") with more pixels on it. That would usually mean noisier lower quality images. Also if the info on dpreview is correct, the DMC-TZ5 has no viewfinder - I find using an LCD to take photos outside on a sunny day just doesn't work for me. I can't see the screen very well and if I have to wear sunglasses, then it gets worse. Also, having used the A2, I really miss the electronic viewfinder when I use a camera that doesn't have one. There's just nothing like having an EVF after you're used to using one all the time. It's a smaller camera though, but maybe that's what you need - I haven't spent too much time researching compact digital cameras.

*grin* Ah, no, this A200. =:D Just a kind hand-me-down from giro_batol, initially really for taking some eBay photos, but it turned out to be ferpectly usable for general use, until recently, when a bad contact/dry joint somewhere turned it into something of a low resolution accelerometer/ghetto pedometer. *sigh* I'll probably get it apart and try fixing it, but with no zoom and a very modest 2MP sensor, I'm itching to land something better suited to wildlife photography anyway.

So, back to the actual camera then. :-) The Lumix has one useful feature that is sadly lacking in any digital camera I own or ever owned - the ability to shoot HD movies at 30fps. That's something that I'd want. Interesting, especially in a compact. Best I can do is 544x408...

Very true! I could easily see myself taking advantage of that. A good still of a wild bunny or two is a delight, but a short clip showing them standing up, looking around, seeing how they actually move - even better. And with memory cards at current capacities, there wouldn't even be any need to worry about sucking up valuable space. All in a size I could slip into my pocket before going wandering along the trail, too.

Though, the coworker does actually have that A200 - indeed, a pair of them - I reshot the umpire tree using one a few weeks back. ^_^ Unfortunately, mine seemed to take umbrage at the infidelity..

Mm, it does seem a little odd not to have any kind of optical viewfinder - something I'd have to become acquainted with, given I'm really only familiar with very low end cameras. (Sadly, neither of my parents are especially interested in photography beyond basic snaps, so I grew up with basic 35mm, 126, and disc =:)